Clean books.
Clear numbers.
Monthly bookkeeping for small businesses in Lake Orion and across Southeast Michigan, so you always know exactly where your business stands.
Built for owners who'd rather run the business than reconcile it.
If you're doing your own books at 10 p.m., or not doing them at all, you're the person Merit was started for. It's built for local, owner-operated businesses with a handful of accounts and no time to keep them straight.
Three things, done well.
Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction categorized, every account reconciled, and financial reports provided with a short summary each month that tells you what happened and what it means.
Catch-up & cleanup
Behind by a few months or a few years? Messy QuickBooks file? It gets sorted, reconciled, and ready for your tax preparer.
QuickBooks Online setup
A clean chart of accounts, connected bank feeds, and rules that keep things tidy. All set up right the first time.
Simple from the first call.
A free 30-minute call
We talk about your business, where the books stand today, and what you actually want out of them.
Your books get current
Any backlog is cleaned up first. Then bank feeds, rules, and a monthly rhythm are put in place.
Monthly reports you can read
Each month you get reconciled books, clean financial statements, and a short summary of how the month went. No surprises at tax time.
Experienced, local, and easy to work with.
- 15+ years in accounting, in both public and private practice, before starting Merit.
- QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor. Your books live in the tool your tax preparer already knows.
- Local, and remote by design. We can meet in person for your first consultation. After that, everything happens securely online, so there's nothing to schedule around.
- Plain-English reports. You'll understand your numbers, not just receive them.
- Simple monthly pricing, quoted after a free call. No hourly surprises.
Hi, I'm Ashleigh.
I spent the better part of two decades in accounting, in public firms and inside private companies, before starting Merit Bookkeeping here in Lake Orion. I've seen what clean books do for a business, and what messy ones cost.
Merit exists so local owners can have that same clarity without hiring a full-time accountant.
More about MeritThings people usually ask.
Do I need a bookkeeper or a CPA?
Both, usually, but for different things. A bookkeeper keeps your records accurate month to month. A CPA uses those records to file taxes and give tax advice. Clean books make your CPA faster and cheaper. Merit does the bookkeeping and works alongside whichever tax preparer you already use.
My books are a mess. Can you fix them?
Yes. Catch-up and cleanup work is a big part of what Merit does. Whether you're a few months behind or have never reconciled an account, it can be brought current and organized before monthly service starts.
What does bookkeeping cost?
Pricing is a flat monthly fee based on how many accounts and transactions your business has, not an hourly rate. The exact number comes after a free call, once we know what's involved. There are no surprises after that.
Do you work remotely or in person?
Mostly remote. The work happens in QuickBooks Online, with documents shared securely, so no one needs to come to your office. If you'd like to talk face to face first, an in-person consultation around Lake Orion is easy to arrange.
Which software do you use?
QuickBooks Online. If you're on something else, or on spreadsheets, migration to QuickBooks Online can be part of the setup.
Do you do payroll or taxes?
No. Merit focuses on bookkeeping only. For payroll, a service like Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll works well, and for tax filing you'll want a CPA or enrolled agent. Your books will be ready for them.
Let's get your books in order.
A free 30-minute call is all it takes to find out what it would look like to hand this off.